Boontling is a jargon[1] or argot spoken only in Boonville, California. It was created in the 1890s. Today, it is nearly extinct, and fewer than 100 people still speak it.[2] It has an Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) sub-tag of boont (i.e. en-boont).[3] The lingo has become somewhat infamous, at least in local circles or within the legends of California, owing to its small-town nature and curious-sounding nomination, as well as its very limited speakership.
The language gained attention in the 1960s and 1970s from researchers like Myrtle R. Rawles and Charles C. Adams, as well as publicity brought from Boontling-speaker Bobby (Chipmunk) Glover and historian Jack (Wee Fuzz) June.
- ^ "Language, dialect or jargon?". 23 June 2010.
- ^ Sieg, Stina (17 January 2015). "Do You Harp A Slib Of The Ling? One Small Town's Opaque Language". NPR.org.
- ^ "Language subtag registry".